


No Angel

by Dream_Wreaver



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alice Angel minion, Bendy and the Ink Machine inspired Akuma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fusion, Marichat, Mind Meld, Psychological Trauma, Slight Gabenath, slight - Freeform, slight identity reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 01:57:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13090017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/Dream_Wreaver
Summary: Something goes wrong, to important people are taken, Ladybug is nowhere to be found, and that means Hawkmoth and Chat Noir have to work together





	No Angel

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what brought this on. But I wrote it so enjoy

Gabriel had to admit that even as a supervillain imperfections were something that could not be avoided. He was still on a bit of a learning curve, despite what the citizens of Paris likely thought of him, and mistakes were bound to be made. Robustus, for one, Gigantitan for another. And yet despite these glaring failures, not to mention the failures of every champion preceding them, some of his creations had been truly great. Puppeteer, Dark Owl, obedient and ruthless and infinitely more skilled with their abilities than some of his others. Still, he thought he’d hit the jackpot with this latest one.

Dubbed the Ink Demon, the latest Akuma was a disgruntled fan who’s favorite video game had delayed the release of the latest installment to their game, despite the fan’s incredible support. They were upset that the game wasn’t getting enough attention, enough support, and that no one else seemed to care. They were going to show them the true horror of dreams left to rot. Or something like that, Hawkmoth himself wasn’t even certain of what exactly it was his champion wanted, only that they were upset and that was good enough. They had gone on a rampage through the city, the black ink that oozed from their body tainting the streets and buildings. People who were touched became shapeless, mindless, minions. The Akuma called them searchers. At least, most of them were. Some were turned into misshapen figures, like animated nightmares come to life.

And that was where the mistake had come in. Hawkmoth’s abilities came with empathic tendencies, and the constant use of the miraculous meant that those empathic abilities spilled over into his civilian life. The problem was, most people felt and expressed their emotions. It was the reason he kept from associating too closely with people. All except for one, there was one person in the whole of Paris who was able to immediately shut their emotions down in favor of working, and he was lucky enough to have her working for him. That was, until he’d messed up.

Given that Nathalie was traditionally a spark of emotion and then nothing she was relatively easy to keep track of even when she was away from the mansion. It was almost like she had a tracking device on her. Unfortunately, when he had created the Ink Demon Gabriel had neglected to recall that Nathalie had been sent out on errands around the city. Traditionally she was well out of harm’s way when an Akuma rampaged, Jackady and himself notwithstanding. But he felt it, the flare of panic when Nathalie was captured by the akuma and his minions, the terror that spiked hot enough that it almost felt like his own panic. Nathalie was afraid, and that was the scary thing. And then, it muted, still present but less intense and Hawkmoth knew she’d been turned into another minion. It was alright though, Ladybug and Chat Noir would show up and either lose their jewelry or fix everything. Nathalie would be alright.

But the day progressed and there was nothing, no sense of frustration from the akuma as Ladybug and Chat Noir battled them. This was confusing. Checking in revealed that the Akuma knew of Chat Noir’s presence, but the hero kept running when confronted. And no one had seen Ladybug at all…

MLB

Being a hero was by now as natural to Adrien as breathing. He knew the signs of panic when he saw and heard them. And the screams of panic couldn’t be more obvious this time around. A demonic looking figure with horns and a rictus grin, the only visible feature on a half melted face, was leading an army of deformed cartoon monstrosities through the city. The transformation had been near instantaneous and he’d been ready to fight.

Leaping into the fray, even without Ladybug near, was nothing new. He was fighting back inky black blobs that could disappear and respawn at will from the ebony puddles that littered the streets. The problem was, as he soon saw, that most of them were the Parisian citizens, and that they were in fact made of ink. He couldn’t just splatter them, there was no telling how permanent the effects would be, and while there hadn’t yet been a limit as to what Ladybug’s Miraculous Cure could fix, he’d rather not run the risk right now.

However, playing pacifist in a horror game was never an easy thing to do. Especially not when the hordes came faster than he dispatch them. He was in the middle of trying to escape one such lambast when he heard a voice call his name.

“Chat Noir!” it was Marinette, she was stranded atop a car, trying to get away. Had she been in the street the whole time?

It didn’t matter, the feline decided as he leapt and vaulted over to her, taking her in his arms and retreating to the rooftops of Paris. He thought they would be safe here as the inky deluge began to flood the streets. He should have known better. This didn’t look good, but he knew better than to say as much to a civilian.

“What’s going on?” Marinette asked, “What is this stuff?”

He recognized the figure, from scoping out the indie section on the various video game sites. It was the central antagonist from one of the best horror games to come out this year. But unfortunately, Adrien had very little preference for horror games, and so had very little idea of how to beat this villain, their minions, or even where the akumatized object might be on it: considering that the only visible things on the villain were its giant gloved hands, a lopsided bowtie, and that chilling cartoony grin.

“It’s ink,” Chat Noir replied instead, “This akuma, their powers are based on that of a video game villain, like the Gamer but not quite.”

“For starters,” Marinette quipped, “I had nothing to do with why this person is upset.”

“So sure about that?” Chat Noir teased.

“Unless someone was insulted about my ignorance of the game, then yes,” Marinette rolled her eyes.

“Well, you should be safe up here for now,” Chat Noir said, “And Ladybug should be here any minute. But until then, I think I’ll stay with you.”

“That’s sweet of you but-” she suddenly looked horrified as she leapt forward, “Chat Noir! Look out!”

The tackle sent him to flat of the roof, when he figured out what was going on he saw Marinette, her right hand caught in the blob like grip of a faceless ink minion. The ink was slowly swelling up her forearm as she tried to pull away, looking panicked and pleading with him for help.

“Marinette!” Chat Noir yelled, baton in hand and ready to spill some ink if it meant keeping her safe. But then the searched began to slip back to the other side of the roof, pulling Marinette along with it. He ran after her, but it was too late. The Searcher had dragged her off the roof with it, and all Chat saw was the terror in her blue eyes as she fell into the sea of black below.

“Marinette!” the hero held his hand over the edge of the roof, frozen with shock that he hadn’t been quick enough to save her after she’d saved him, “Princess! No!” he called again, unable to do anything else. He felt like a failure, he hadn’t been able to save her.

MLB

Ladybug still hadn’t shown up. And Chat Noir was forced to run. He couldn’t fight by himself. The army was too numerous by now. Only Ladybug could fix everything, make it alright again. But she was nowhere to be found, and when he tried calling her she wouldn’t pick up. A sinking thought burbled up, what if it wasn’t that she wouldn’t pick up, but rather that she _couldn’t_? Nearly all the civilians in Paris had been taken by the Ink Demon by now. If she’d been caught while detransformed, there was no telling what could happen now.

The frustration of Ladybug’s absence was wearing thin on Hawkmoth too. He saw all from his position inside his villain’s head. Where could she be? The idea that she’d been caught before she could transform had yet eluded him. But he could still feel Nathalie’s muted terror, and it irritated him. Nathalie knew there was nothing personal in her being chosen as a helper to the cause, so why she was so bothered by this he couldn’t understand. And then something else happened. He felt new emotion mingle with Nathalie’s a new sort of terror and fear, sharp and harrowing, and young. It felt like the terror of a young person- who’s fear of the unknown was not placated by past experience of change being a good thing. What was his champion doing?

MLB

Forced to exit his lair because this was a situation as of yet not encountered Hawkmoth decided to look for the mangy stray himself. The akuma was otherwise preoccupied and given that their new form was made over in ink, the pain method had proved woefully ineffective. He was too old to be running across rooftops like this, but desperate times and all that. Hawkmoth found Chat Noir sitting on a roof near the edge of the city.

“Well, well, well,” he said, startling the hero, “We meet face to face Chat Noir,”

“Hawkmoth!” the hero started. But instantly his baton was out and extended, “What are you doing here?”

“Because I am apparently surrounded by incompetence I had to come searching for you and Ladybug, where is she? Normally you two have at least _attempted_ to thwart my champions and save the day.”

“She’s not here,” way to state the obvious.

Despite the majority of his features being obscured by the mask Hawkmoth still conveyed the raise of a skeptical brow, “I noticed, care to explain why?”

“Well…” Chat Noir was stalling, which meant he knew the answer and wasn’t saying anything.

“I can explain that,” a new voice said. From behind the hero a tiny little red being, with a giant black spot in the middle of its forehead floated forth. A Kawmi, and not just any Kwami, Ladybug’s Kwami.

“And you would be…” Hawkmoth waited for her to introduce herself.

“I’m Tikki, Ladybug’s… well I suppose you already know what I am,” the tiny god, “Ladybug got taken before she could transform.”

“And you’re still here because?”

“She didn’t want to give up. We are only sent away when you renounce us and break the contract. Did you not already know that?” she looked skeptical of his confusion.

“I think you’ll find Nooroo is not as forthcoming with information with me as he might otherwise be,” Hawkmoth clasped his hands behind his back, grip on his cane tightening, “So Ladybug’s out of commission? And given the nature of these minions it would be impossible to identify her. Wonderful.”

“Well, can’t you just recall the akuma?” Chat Noir asked, “You created it.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple,” Hawkmoth replied, “I can grant powers, yes, to some extent I can even control them while transformed, but as I’m sure you noticed by now the Akuma itself will not leave unless forced to, only returning to me if it’s not cleansed.”

“All the miraculous are made to balance each other out,” Tikki added, “Plagg and I might be the most powerful together, but we’re still pretty powerful on our own. How good would it be for anyone if either of us fell into the wrong hands with no one capable of stopping us?”

“It’s the same for the others,” Hawkmoth continued, “I can’t recall the akuma, but I can help you defeat it.”

“And I can cleanse it,” Tikki finished, “that should diminish its powers and put everyone back to normal. Ladybug can handle the rest later.”

“You’ll really help me?” Chat Noir was skeptical, and for good reason. Nothing came without a price.

“In exchange for your miraculous,” Hawkmoth bartered smoothly, “After all, I am the only one who knows where the akuma is on my champion.”

“Yeah, not gonna happen,” Chat Noir crossed his arms over his chest, “Try again.”

Hawkmoth shrugged, “Suit yourself, you’ll wear yourself down to nothing before you even get close without me-” he paused as a sound echoed out over the city. Faint and distant, but loud enough to be heard over the din of the chaos the inklings caused. He felt the emotion in it, the emotion he linked to Nathalie

Chat was rather stunned. It wasn’t like a villain to pause in the middle of monologuing, not in the media anyways. It was disconcerting to say the least, “What’s wrong?”

“Shh!” the villain hushed him, “Aren’t those ears of yours good for anything? Can’t you hear it?”

Chat tried to focus his hearing, tuning out the noises of the city. And then he heard it. Singing, someone was singing. Wistful, melancholy, and almost a bit sinister…

“Someone you know?” Chat asked.

“Perhaps,” Hawkmoth replied, “the emotional signature is familiar to me, but it’s been corrupted somehow.”

“Putting aside the factor of payment, should we maybe investigate?” Chat asked.

“I have to say in this instance that may be more important,” Hawkmoth agreed, “Let’s go.”

MLB

They tracked the voice to the Grand Paris. Of course. But the interior had completely changed. Instead of the traditional luxury and opulence the building looked like it had fallen into thirty years’ worth of ruin and disrepair. The minions wandered the halls, and had to be skillfully evaded as Chat had had to remind Hawkmoth they were still people under the ink to save them from being dispatched without mercy. Chilling sayings were scattered through the corridors, painted in ink. Things like, “Dreams come true,” and, “The Creator Lied to Us,” and, “Who’s Laughing Now?” only added to the foreboding atmosphere.

The voice itself echoed through the corridors, but got louder and louder the further down into the building they went. Tikki hid herself in Chat’s hair, trying to stay out of the way. They ended up in the basement where the singing echoed off all the empty space and reverberated with the strength of ten people. Abruptly it cut off, and then laughter filled the chamber.

“I see you there,” a female voice fractured into two separate registers teased them, “New flies in my endless web,” she laughed, “Now, let’s see if you two are worthy to walk with angels…”

“What are we supposed to to?” Chat hissed.

“I can sense her, them, it,” Hawkmoth whispered back, “We need to find her, and my champion and get things set right.”

“Lead the way then,” Chat held a hand out.

They wandered in the darkness, eventually stumbling on a little room at the very back. A room that no one would have even noticed being there. They opened it to find a figure kneeling on the floor, right side to them. Her skin was white as paper, hair black as night, from her head protruded rounded white horns, and a halo glowed dimly above it. Her black dress was strapless, but black sleeves covered her forearms until they were overtaken by comically large white gloves. The skirt of the dress was almost indecently short, and they saw garters on her thighs, the stockings melting into black heels as she stood.

She laughed then, “Butterfly, kitten, you’ve finally made it. I almost didn’t think you would,” her voice sounded more normal, more unified than it had before, “You’re so different, I have to say I’m a fan. And now you’re here, so we come to the question… what do I do with you?”

“What do you mean?” Chat Noir asked, “We’re here to stop the akuma, what else would you plan on doing?”

“Do I kill you?” the woman mused, more to herself than anything, “Do I tear you apart to my heart’s delight?,” she clicked her tongue, “The choices of the beautiful are _unbearable_.”

“We need to find the Ink Demon,” Hawkmoth interjected, “Is he here?”

“You think I would let the demon touch me?” she seemed aghast, turning fully to them and revealing that while the right side of her face was normal, the left looked as though it were in the process of melting off, “Do you know what it’s like? Living, in the dark puddles?”

“Dark puddles?” the two men shared a look as the angelic monster held herself.

“It’s a buzzing, screaming well of voices!” the angel’s voice fractured again, the components sounding more familiar up close, “Bits of your mind swimming around, like fish in a bowl!” she teetered forth, “The Demon, he-” then she started to laugh again, “Ah, it took so much to make me so nearly perfect.”

“So much?” Chat questioned.

The angel seemed to become cognizant of his presence, “Kitten, oh, kitten,” she laughed, “Marinette thinks so highly of you, doesn’t she?”

“Marinette? What did you do with her?” Chat lashed out.

“Me? I didn’t do anything to her. She’s right here, and so beautiful.”

“Wait, is Marinette a part of _you_?” this was disgusting on more than a few levels. Clearly Hawkmoth had to take more care with his choice of champion.

“And the other, a kind heart, and a cold one. Both are needed to make an angel like me,” the angel smiled, and then it turned sad, “The first time I was born from the inky womb I was flaws, a shapeless slug. The second time, well,” her voice fractured again, “It made me an angel! But it’s not enough, I’m not quite perfect yet.”

“Who’s the other person?” Chat asked.

“You don’t need to know,” Hawkmoth shot back, “And I will take care to neglect your connection with this Marinette, who wouldn’t happen to be the same Marinette Befana and Gamer went after, would it?”

Chat remained stubbornly silent. Hawkmoth laughed, “That’s what I thought.”

“What do you plan to do?” the angel asked them.

“We need to find the Ink Demon.” Chat Noir decided, “If we can defeat him, then everything will go back to normal, and you’ll be beautiful again.”

“It would be more helpful if we had Ladybug,” Hawkmoth interjected, “You didn’t happen to notice a unique pair of earrings on anyone, did you?”

The angel put a finger to her mouth in thought, “As a matter of fact, I did!” she exclaimed, “And I took them, only the beautiful should have beautiful things, don’t you think?”

“Tikki,” Chat whispered, “Can you use them with her?”

“If the earrings are in, I don’t see why not,” Tikki replied.

“Right, then,” Hawkmoth took charge, “Let’s go find my Champion and deal with him while Ladybug gets ahold of herself.”

MLB

“Are you sure this will work?” it was a question being asked by multiple parties. And the only answer was, “What other choice do we have?”

The Ink Demon was sought out. It was a difficult battle, since he was the most powerful, and he could draw on the resources of his army to protect him when he retreated. But a 1920s style Ladybug, in black with white spots, appeared to help them out. Hawkmoth directed the pair to the object that needed to be broken. It halted the monster in its tracks, but also halted everyone affiliated with it, which was 99% of the people in Paris at the moment. It even halted the temporary Ladybug. But her transformation was forcibly released and the Kawmi spiraled out of the earrings and went after the butterfly, earrings discarded on the floor. The angel, an amalgamation of Marinette and someone else started to melt and fall apart, a sure sign that Tikki had done her part of the job. The city was still in shambles, but the people were returning to normal. However, Hawkmoth quickly pulled the second figure behind him before Chat Noir could see who they were.

“Everything will be returned to normal within the hour I presume,” Hawkmoth said, keeping his gaze pinned on the hero, who was busy cradling Marinette in his arms, “As soon as Ladybug is restored to her former glory. Consider today an anomaly Chat Noir, the next time we meet, it will be as enemies once more.” he turned his back, scooped up the other female, and dashed away.

“Chat?” Marinette was confused, “Why was Hawkmoth here?”

“Things got a little out of hand Princess,” Chat replied, “Let me take you home,”

She nodded wordlessly, “Kay,”

He scooped her up in his arms and returned her to the balcony above the Dupan-Cheng Bakery.

“Where are you going now?” she asked him.

“On patrol,” Chat answered, “Have to keep an eye on things until Ladybug comes back. Her earrings are safe though, don’t worry about that.”

“You have them?” she seemed almost panicked for some reason.

“No, but someone just as trustworthy does. Cat’s honor. Paris will be as pristine as ever in a little bit. But for now,” he gave Marinette a salute and vaulted off. Marinette felt for her earrings and was nearly alarmed to discover them not there.

“Psst!” a voice came from one of her planters. Marinette crouched down to see Tikki hiding in the brush, her earrings there along with the Kwami.

Marinette sighed and physically sagged with relief, “Tikki! Thank goodness you’re here, and you have them!” immediately the earrings were replaced, “Alright, let’s go clean up Paris. Tikki, transform me!”

MLB

A rapping at her window came later that night. Immediately Tikki hid herself while Marinette looked to see the cause of the intrusion. It was Chat, who else would it have been? With a look of fond exasperation she gestured for him to come in. The trap door above her bed opened and he dropped in.

“How is my favorite Princess feel-ine this evening?” he asked with a grin.

“I was feeling pretty good, until you made that pun,” Marinette quipped.

“Me-ouch, my apologies Princess,” Chat held his hands up, “Didn’t mean to raise your hackles,”

“Was that some sort of cat reference?” Marinette asked, “Because my fur’s hardly standing on end.”

“Good one!” Chat chuckled as he sat down on her chaise. Marinette observed him for a moment without saying a word. He fidgeted for a bit and then came out with it, “Seriously though, are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine, more or less, why?” Marinette asked.

“Do you… remember any of what happened while you were…” Chat couldn’t even find a word that might describe what she’d gone through.

“I was more or less lucid,” Marinette responded, “A luxury most minions of an akuma aren’t afforded. I’ve heard it feels like some sort of catatonic state, but I digress. I can remember what happened, up until I, we fell apart.”

“Who were you squished together with?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“Why, did you hate the person?”

“No, it’s just-” Marinette cut herself off, “Describe what it’s like being transformed, I remember seeing a little red blob, it was sentient. Is that presence, I mean, I assume it works the same way for your ring, right?”

“If you’re asking whether or not I have a Kwami, that little sentient blob thing you saw, then the answer is yes.”

“Fine then, your Kwami, is your Kwami a constant presence in your mind when you’re transformed?”

“In a sense, yes,” Chat agreed, “But most of the time it’s more a feeling. Like he’s the suit, and I’m the driver.”

“Like a mech?” Marinette clarified.

“I suppose you could say that, yes,” Chat replied, “Was it not like that for you?”

“It was two people together. There were parts of me that were shared without my full consent, the hazards of sharing one body I suppose. It’s a far more… intimate thing than I could ever hope to convey with words... And her identity, I mean, neither of us chose what happened. I think I would rather get over it as soon as possible,”

“Talking with someone can help,” Chat reminded her.

“Alright, but you have to promise not to say anything to anyone,” Marinette pushed.

“Not a word will pass these lips without your express permission Princess,” Chat promised.

“Not even to Ladybug?” Marinette raised a brow.

“I wouldn’t be much of a knight if I couldn’t keep my word,” Chat told her, “If she really wants to know she can come to you directly,”

“Alright,” Marinette agreed, “It was… Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel Agreste’s assistant.”

“That’s…” Chat struggled for a reply, “unexpected.”

“Not really,” Marinette countered, “I was doing some research on the game that spawned all this based off what I could remember, and apparently the character we were mimicking had a similarly split personality. Made from two people, one kind, the other cruel. I mean, she’s rather level-headed and distant, but-”

“Tell me about it,” Chat muttered under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing Princess, continue,”

“I wouldn’t say she’s cruel, just, a bit cold… it was something, being connected to someone like that. We meant what we said, about it being a buzzing well of voices. There were times where I really couldn’t tell where my conscious ended and hers began. It’s scary, to think of losing yourself so completely like that.”

“Princess,” Chat couldn’t think of any words that might help, so he stood and hugged her instead, “I’m here for you, if you ever need me…”

Marinette froze in his embrace for a moment. But then her arms raised to wrap back around him, “I know,” she whispered as they nuzzled further into each other, “And I’m so glad…”

MLB

Nathalie had been escorted home swiftly after the incident, being dropped at the Agreste mansion long enough for Gabriel to detransform and call for the car. He said nothing the way over and left very quickly after. Nathalie spent a few hours by herself, utterly numb as her body went through motions that were supposed to calm you. It was quite late at night when there came a knock at her door. It hadn’t woken her up, she’d been lying awake just staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. She got up out of bed and went to the door without checking through the peephole. It was Gabriel. What was he doing here at this hour?

“Sir?” she asked, uncertainty present in her tone.

“You should check your door before you answer it,” he said brusquely, “Otherwise what’s the point?”

“A wise sentiment,” she deferred. They stood there a minute or two before Nathalie said, “Would you like to come in?”

“If you don’t mind,”

She sort of did, but it wasn’t as if him being there was going to interfere with her REM sleep. Becoming one part of a whole other person had effectively ruined the night for her, and the day, possibly the next couple of days. She stepped aside and opened the door wider. He passed through and, as in control as ever he took a seat on her couch. With a sigh Nathalie shut and locked the door. She went and took a seat beside him, on the other end of the couch where it was safe.

“Was there something you wanted to talk about?” she asked, “Something that was too important to wait for work later today?”

“I wanted to-” he cleared his throat, as if the words were having trouble coming out, “I’m sorry Nathalie, I never expected my akuma would-”

“You don’t need to apologize sir,” she rebuffed him, “It was an accident. You didn’t expect me to become collateral. Believe me, if it’s a sentiment your own son is used to then someone not related to you would be no more offended.”

“I, does he really think of it like that?”

“If you just a tad more observant with him as you are with everything else you wouldn’t be asking that question.” she took a deep breath, “Sir, if it’s some form of guilty conscience nagging at you than you needn’t be worried. It was, an experience, to be sure. But I’m fine now. Ladybug, the real Ladybug fixed everything. Though I’m surprised you didn’t take the opportunity to obtain at least one of the miraculouses, isn’t that what this is all about?”

“You have to understand,” Gabriel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I, the akuma… as an empathic villain you and your apparently singular ability to utterly shut down your emotions when not necessary is a godsend. But you were terrified, so terrified you couldn’t stop feeling that way… it was, disconcerting to say the least.”

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d almost say you cared.”

“You’re my most trusted employee, of course I care.”

“The same way you care about your son,”

“Now is not the time for cheap shots, Nathalie.”

“I wouldn’t call it cheap, I would call it easy.”

“I do love my son, despite what you might think,”

“I know you do sir,” Nathalie interjected, “But it wouldn’t hurt to show him that every once in awhile.”

“How did a conversation about you turn into one about my relationship with my son?”

“If you really want to talk with me about what happened then I can tell you it’s not necessary. You already apologized, what more would I expect from you?”

“Something happened Nathalie, I can feel it.”

“Can you?”

“You’re shutting down every emotional aspect of you when it’s not at all necessary. What happened?”

“What happened?” she repeated to him, an incredulous look on her face, “What happened? I’ll tell you what happened? I was dragged into a pool of ink, my consciousness only saved because I was cold and emotionally detached. Inside I was terrified, and then there was Marinette, Adrien’s friend. She was brought to us. I’d already been turned, but I was too cold, imperfect. And then she was brought in, the second time… and then, we were an angel, but we weren’t enough. I couldn’t tell where I ended and she began, and beneath all that there was some well of insanity, and I could feel myself drowning. I was willing to kill those things, torture them, torture you! All I wanted was to be beautiful and it terrified me! I could feel myself slipping, so close to that precipice, the both of us, we almost lost ourselves entirely and it was so easy. If that Kawmi hadn’t brought some semblance of clarity back…” she let out a harsh breath of mirthless laughter, “And you want to talk about what happened when you have no way to possibly understand it!”

“You’re crying,” he said without inflection.

Nathalie, harshly panting and wavering on her feet from her furious tirade put a surprised hand to her cheek. It came away wet. It was too much, it was all too much, even for her. The tears wouldn't stop no matter how she scrubbed at them. Gabriel grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down to the couch, settling her into his lap and curving himself around her. She was hiccuping and the tears wouldn’t stop. He patted, rubbed, any motion soft enough to soothe. But she could tell that compassion was withheld, whether he realized it or not. The irony, of an empath being so terrible at emotional intimacy. No, it wasn’t that, she reminded herself. It was just that his emotional intimacy was reserved solely for the woman he loved. The woman who was not the one in his arms right now. But she had to give him points for trying.

They sat there, and sat there. And eventually they woke up there, the unconscious actions entwining them greatly, seeking comfort without words, without expectations. Nathalie extricated herself and woke him up. They were a little flustered that they’d fallen asleep on each other. But since nothing else had happened they came to the mutual agreement that there was nothing to be concerned about. All the same, Nathalie sent him away from her apartment without following.

MLB

“Father?” Adrien yawned as he saw his sire busily working, though his assistant’s desk was noticeably empty, “Where’s Nathalie?”

“She was involved with the akuma attack on the city yesterday,” Gabriel replied noncommittally, “Not of her own volition I assure you, however it was a bit traumatic for her. And unfortunately, schedules are hard to keep without someone competent around. Today we will be taking an impromptu day off.”

“Really?” Adrien yawned again. That didn’t sound like his father, but then again he couldn’t complain. Chat Noir had had an impromptu sleepover at Marinette’s house last night, she’d broken down a few times and he couldn’t ever leave a damsel in distress like that, especially not with everything that had happened. She’d explained further, in between sobs, as to what it had really been like. He’d sat there, running hands over her back and allowing her to cry on his shoulder. Sometimes, one just needed to cry. And then, she’d been so cute, clinging to him in a bashful manner. Marinette had to be the cutest of his friends, even if she seemed to prefer his hero side over his civilian one. Adrien would have to work on that.

“Yes, provided that all your work is done and you keep in contact you may go where you please.”

“I think I might head over to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery,” Adrien dropped causally, “I heard Marinette was caught up in the issue yesterday too.”

Gabriel shot a look over his shoulder at his progeny, “Very well, just don’t be there all day.”

Meanwhile, the first thing Nathalie had done after Gabriel had left was to locate the number to the bakery and request to speak to Marinette.

“Hello?” she still sounded half-asleep. Nathalie couldn’t blame her, it had been a very trying day.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng,” she greeted.

“Nathalie,” she sounded surprised, “What are you-”

“I wanted to let you know that your secret is safe with me, that is all.”

“Secret?” she was startled, “What secret? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Precisely,”

“I’m serious,”

“As far as this conversation is concerned, yes. But do keep in mind, that for an extended period of time we shared a headspace in which there was no clear boundaries between us. You’re not yet an adult, so I don’t hold it against you that you weren’t able to hide your own reactions to things. A lovely pair of earrings, for example.”

“I, I-”

“I just wanted to let you know, that nothing that happened will be shared with anyone, and any secrets we might have inadvertently shared will remain so. Have a good day Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

“Good day Miss Sancoeur.”

After hanging up, Nathalie looked at phone. Was it the right thing to do? Keeping a hero’s identity from her supervillain boss, or keeping a villain's identity from a superhero? Probably not, on either account. But Nathalie was privy to more information than the average person was. Unfortunately such information left her hands tied, for now the best thing to do was keep quiet.

**Author's Note:**

> You know what would be a great present? Comments! Leave one below and let me know what you think. Until next time, Happy Holidays everyone!


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